Cleaning a Fabric Lampshade

by Kristie Brown

Check the manufacturer’s recommendation for cleaning instructions.

If clean is your thing, chances are that you’re an organizational genius who has a method for cleaning everything in your home. The baseboards, molding, blinds and tile grout cannot escape your handiwork. But, there may be a few areas that are still overlooked even in the tidiest of places. Fabric lampshades present their own challenges because of their construction, shape and materials. When it’s time to give your lampshades a good, deep clean, consider a few tips.

Household Materials

Before you head to the grocery or hardware stores for some fancy cleaning items, look no further than your cabinets and closets. Paintbrushes, lint rollers and tape can work wonders. Hair dryers, vacuum attachments and gentle liquid dish soap can help you reach rims or under pleats to rid the shade of dirt and stains.

Easy Dusting

When time is not on your side, ridding a lampshade of dust and debris can be a relatively simple process by incorporating a few tricks. Find a clean 1- or 2-inch-wide paintbrush to brush the dust or hair from the shade. You can also use a lint roller or tape to quickly lift dust and dirt. If you opt for tape, cut a length that is twice as wide as the palm of your hand. Leave the sticky side of the tape on the outside and create a loop that is attached to itself. Slip the loop over your hand and, beginning at the top of the shade, press the tape to the shade all the way down to the base, rotating both the shade and tape until the shade is clean.

Dusting With Technology

Air trained onto a shade can also rid it of dirt and debris. After removing the shade from the lamp base, plug in a hair dryer and train it on the lampshade to blow away the dust as you rotate the shade. If you’re already vacuuming your floor or sofa and chair cushions, keep the attachments handy and use the soft brush attachment to vacuum down the shade after removing it. The force of the suction will lift away most dirt and debris. If you have a pleated lampshade, an angled attachment may gently remove dust between the pleats.

Washing

Depending on the manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations, a mild liquid dish soap may clean many stains or spots from the shade. Fill a large sink or bathtub with tepid water and about 1 to 2 tsp. of a mild liquid dish detergent. Don’t use dishwasher or laundry detergent, as they may be too harsh for the shade’s material. Hold onto the bars that fit onto the lamp base, and agitate the water by repeatedly immersing and removing the shade from the water. Rinse the shade in cool water until it runs clear and place the wet shade in a sunny location or in a window to dry. If your shade is glued to the frame rather than sewn to it, it’s advisable to skip this step or to sew the shade in place first with an appropriately colored thread.

Dry Cleaners

When none of the methods outlined clean the lampshade to your satisfaction, consider your local dry cleaner. Not every dry cleaner will attempt to clean the shade, or some may ask you to agree in writing that they are not responsible if the fabric does not withstand the chemicals. But if you hate to replace a shade with a new one, this may be the best, final resort.

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